Mapping, LiDAR, and the autonomous vehicle industry

Within the development of driverless cars, mapping transportation environments has become as important as the algorithms that program the car’s movement. Driverless cars have developed around remote sensing technologies, specifically LIDAR. Companies such as General Motors, Ford, and Waymo (Google) have poured huge amounts of money into this method of geographic data collection. Write an essay considering what it means to map for autonomous driving. Respond to the following questions, and be sure to cite your sources carefully and read promotional material critically. Back up all of your argument with facts.

1. What is LIDAR? How is it used in autonomous vehicles? How does this use of LIDAR compare to the technology’s application to terrain elevation models? What other uses have people found for LIDAR?

2. What are some advantages of LIDAR for autonomous vehicles? What are some disadvantages or limitations? What other types of remote sensing are being developed alongside/for driverless cars (what technology is Tesla focusing on)?

3. Find an image online taken from an HD map developed for driverless vehicles. What visualization strategies help humans understand the HD Map? What cartographic priorities change when mapping for a machine compared to a human?

4. Who owns these maps? What are the consequences of private companies developing individual maps for vehicles that will operate on public streets? Should these maps be regulated? How?

5. What happens if the road changes? Should this geographic data be accessible? 6. What are some of the ethical concerns with the use of LIDAR and other sensors in cars? https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603885/autonomous-cars-LiDAR-sensors/ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/02/automobiles/wheels/self-driving-cars-gps-maps.html https://www.geospatialworld.net/blogs/hd-maps-autonomous-vehicles/ https://www.citylab.com/life/2014/04/first-look-how-googles-self-driving-car-handles-city-streets/8977/